This week was awful. My disbelief and heartache were unrelenting and compounded by Sean’s absence. I needed escape or purpose or both because everything felt hopelessly out of control. But what to do? I drew upon a combination of needing to change things and remembering that I am capable.
Our laundry room has long been the root source of my unhappiness. I mean, the laundry just never ends and the room never fit. The shelves in the cabinets were too short, too shallow, and the wrong height. The wallpaper border always made me feel like I was living in someone else’s house. I loathed the dirty blue color and the entire room came to feel like a jail cell.
I decided to redo it; all of it. I researched shelving options. I knew that I wanted to be able to store hampers and quilts. Our kitchen renovation did away with the place where I stored all the medicine and first aid supplies, so I wanted something to fit that bill too. I also needed a system for the broom and mop.
I took a big old breath of “Why the hell not?” and got to work. You can see the transformation right down there.
My heart still hurts and laundry is still a chore, but somehow taking control of the space and giving it touches that make me smile soothed me. Oh, and pushing past my fear and doing it myself made me feel incredible.
Do you have any spaces in your house that make you feel heavy? Or that make you feel light?
Tagged: DIY, home improvement, laundry
So, there are captions on the photos, but I haven’t a clue how to make them visible to anyone here reading. That bug scared me half to death.
OMG ….That bug was REAL? EWWWWW!
( Thought you might have staged that just for fun.)
I’m so sorry about your cat! And i understand and admire your take charge approach. My front entry bugs me ever since I fell on Scott’s Greek urn:( I am going to paint and look into some backpack storage. Thank you for the inspiration. Xo
Thank you. She was such love.
I want pictures! Do it 🙂
I love the wall color and the shelving!
But the BUG OMG THE BUG.
Right? I talked to the room a lot after I didn’t wrap my hand around the drill and him.
I love your line about the wallpaper border. We had hideous wallpaper in the house when we moved in, and it took 9 years and a roof leak to get rid of it. Bit it’s gone and I love my kitchen more. (Incidentally my kitchen is roughly the same shade of green as your new laundry room.)
We should love the rooms in our house. End of story.
🙂
It looks so good. I was thinking about moving into your laundry room, but then I saw the bug.
Seriously, though, I am impressed with your get-it-doneness. I, too, disliked the decor of my basement laundry room, so I just hung the kids’ artwork all over it.
I hope your spirits lift this week.
Sending you love. and bug spray.
I am feeling much better, Shannon. Thank you.
There was also a grasshopper and a spider. I think a window was open somewhere. I decided to be zen about it, but I pity the next crop of bugs, I don’t think I can do that again.